Erica OBrien first discovered cake design quite by accident almost twenty years ago while living in New York. She had always wanted to be an artist, and found that cake offered the artistic outlet she coveted.
After moving to California in 2006, Erica began designing cakes full time. She quickly gained recognition by major bridal publications such as Brides and The Knot, and attracted a large online following. It was in California that Erica truly realized her artistry, allowing her style to evolve and fostering her love of sugar flowers.
In 2011, Erica, along with her husband and two daughters, relocated to Connecticut. She opened her cake design studio in 2012. Today, Erica OBrien Cake Design offers cakes, cupcakes, and many other baked goods for weddings and other happy occasions. Erica recently launched the Thoughtfully Curated Collection of Cake Stands, a collection of cake stands and cake accessories that boasts many unique colors and hard to find sizes, all available on her website.
Erica OBrien Cake Design has been featured in Brides Magazine, The Knot, Grace Ormonde, Southern Weddings Magazine, Bridal Guide, Exquisite Weddings Magazine, Well Wed, The Connecticut Bride, and O Magazine as well as many blogs.
Erica OBrien is also a Craftsy instructor. Her class A Cake for Every Season is currently available online at Craftsy.com.
MORE FROM ERICA:
Gold Dipped CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back with a new cake technique.... For this cake, I wanted to create something chic and trendy. There are certainly many beautiful gold cakes out there already, but I wanted this cake to appear as if it was actually dipped in gold. For inspiration, I turned to Pinterest, where I not only found beautiful images of items dipped in gold--everything from vases to feathers--but DIYs as well. The method used in the DIYs were very similar to the technique we used for our cake.Read More
Falling In Love CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back with a new fall cake technique.... Fall in New England, where I live, is a special time of year. The changing colors of the leaves is a sight to behold. The air gets a wonderful crispness to it, and we light our fireplace for the first time in months, bringing a coziness to the house that is unparalleled. It’s time for sweaters and boots, apple picking, pumpkins and Thanksgiving. I love fall-inspired cakes, and wanted to create a cake to celebrate the season, with leaves that look weightless and actually appear to be falling. I have some pretty good leaf-shaped cutters, but I wanted my leaves to be somewhat translucent, and I knew that gumpaste not give me the look I was after. I also knew that to make them look as realistic as possible they needed to have stems (something my cutters don’t have). So, I turned to real leaves and wafer paper.Read More
Dip Dye Macramé CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back for the next post in our Trending series. Join Erica as she goes from inspiration on Pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design.... My childhood was, both literally and figuratively, quite crunchy. In the 1970s, long before farm to table was a trend, my mom adopted a vacant lot in our Queens, New York, neighborhood and planted a thriving garden. Her lifelong commitment to healthful living manifested itself in my school lunches, when she insisted on sprinkling wheat germ on my peanut butter sandwiches. My objections to her attempt to increase the fiber in my diet met with her claims that the addition of the germ made the sandwich more “crunchy”. I often wonder if she now looks back with regret about adding extra gluten to my diet. My mom placed little emphasis on organized sports (way too competitive) and instead encouraged more creative pursuits like art and music. So I developed a solid appreciation for all things crafty... and a deep aversion to wheat germ.Read More
Mid-Century Cactus CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back for the next post in our Trending series. Join Erica as she goes from inspiration on Pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design....
Since relocating to Connecticut from California four years ago, my cake designs have reflected a seasonal approach: cakes for spring that boast tender young blooms and pastel color palettes, summer cakes that celebrate everything summer has to offer, fall cakes with earthy colors, spicy warm tones, and falling leaves, and sweater cakes in winter that would have felt ridiculously out of place in Southern California.Read More
Watermelon CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back for the next post in our Trending series. Join Erica as she goes from inspiration on Pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design....Read More
Flamingo CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back for the next post in our Trending series. Join Erica as she goes from inspiration on Pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design.... I love designing cakes, but I especially love designing cakes within given parameters. Although I’m very flattered when a client trusts my artistry enough to leave the design completely up to me, it’s a bit daunting. The idea of being able to do anything kind of overwhelms me. Instead, I work best when given some guidelines, some visual inspiration, and a look, mood, or feel to capture. That’s exactly what happened with this cake.Read More
Peach String Art CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back for the next post in our Trending series. Join Erica as she goes from inspiration on Pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design.
This cake was inspired by two trends: string art and pastel peach. I took an eclectic art class in junior high school in which we learned lots of art forms, including calligraphy and string art, so string art makes me very nostalgic. I love the reinvented string art that we’re seeing today, less hippie-arts-and-crafts (the kind I learned) and more refined with lots of geometric shapes and trendy color palettes.Read More
Marquee Letters CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back for the next post in our Trending series. Join Erica as she goes from inspiration on Pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design.
We have an ongoing joke at the shop about who comes up with the best design concepts. My sister, the soup maker (with whom I share the kitchen), always has lots of ideas that we promptly dismiss. Most of the designs are either mine or a collaborative effort between me and Callan, my wonderful assistant. The credit for this vintage marquee letter cake, however, goes completely to Callan. Although I was skeptical at first, Callan really came through with this design.Read More
TRENDING : MarsalaOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back for the next post in our Trending series. Join Erica as she goes from inspiration on Pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design.... I wanted to celebrate the new year with something a little unconventional. Rather than create a winter-inspired cake like one might expect, I decided to embrace Marsala, the Pantone Color of the Year. Truth be told, I’m sometimes a little baffled by Pantone’s annual Color of the Year selections, and don’t necessarily agree with their choices. The colors might work great for couture fashion, but for cake? Not so much. The challenge with this cake was to create a design that still felt light, romantic, girly, and wedding-appropriate with a color that reads a bit heavy. I knew that I wanted to incorporate the marsala as an accent color only, for fear that an entire cake covered in marsala-colored fondant would visually weigh the cake down. I considered an ivory fondant for the base, but wanted to stay away from the warmer fall tones and keep the cake looking fresh and clean, and ultimately went with a crisp, white fondant.Read More
2015 Wedding Cake Trends : Butttercream FlowersIt's day three of our brand new cake series - The 2015 Wedding Cake Preview! We're spending two weeks oohing and aahing over marvelous cake designs and getting the scoop on 2015 cake trends from the ladies who know. Top cake designers were asked to predict which cake trends will be hot in 2015. Based on their insights, this talented group got busy creating innovative new cakes, exclusively for this cake series and especially for you!
Let's continue on with cake number three! Our third design updates a classic technique with a modern style perfect for 2015 brides. Buttercream cakes made a big comeback a few years ago, with more and more brides opting for rustic, textured designs over fondant. Today's cake elevates this look with clusters of buttecream flowers hand-piped to resemble a gorgeous wildflower bouquet.Read More
Glittering Deer CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, is back for the next post in our Trending series. Join Erica as she goes from inspiration on Pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design. Today is all about silhouettes, specifically a glittering deer silhouette... I’ve always been a bit of a non-conformist. My freshman year of college I was voted “Most Unique” on my dorm floor and wore the distinction proudly (although in retrospect it was most likely more of an insult than a compliment). When it comes to cakes, I gravitate toward unconventional designs and loose, rather than literal, interpretations of themes. For this cake, I wanted the design to be vaguely reminiscent of winter and Christmas yet unmistakably winter and Christmas, if that makes any sense.Read More
Chocolate Painted CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, owner of Erica OBrien Cake Design, is back for the next post in our Trending series. I wanted this cake to be a celebration of the bounty of Thanksgiving, my absolute favorite holiday. For the design, I was inspired by still life photography and painting. I find the trend in food photography towards deeper, darker tones really unexpected and intriguing. I love the dramatic effect created by darker lighting, backdrops, plating, and styling seen on food blogs and in food magazines...Read More
Black & White HalloweenOur contributor, Erica OBrien, owner of Erica OBrien Cake Design, is here today with some fabulous Halloween cake inspiration...
For these two cakes, my goal was simple: reinterpret Halloween in black and white. I wanted each cake to be symbolic of Halloween without being too literal. I love the sophisticated black and white Halloween decor that seems to reject the conventional Halloween palette of orange and black or orange and purple.Read More
Paper Garland CakeOur contributor, Erica OBrien, owner of Erica OBrien Cake Design, is back for the next post in our Trending series. Erica is helping us translate today's top trends in fashion, design, art and everyday life into fabulous cake designs. And today is all about paper garlands! The inspiration for this cake came from all the gorgeous garlands we see flying around Pinterest...Read More
Technique + Imagination (III)Today is Day 2 of a new mini series all about cake artistry! Three of our contributors teamed up on a project conceived to challenge each other while inspiring all of us. We talk about inspiration and techniques all the time here on The Cake Blog. But how do you take those concepts and translate them into your own cake designs? It's a process that every cake designer must go through, time and time again, as they build their skill set and define their own personal style. Because really, cake artistry starts with a solid foundation of technique and then blooms with imagination and creativity. Next up is Erica OBrien...Read More
Trending: Boho ChicOur contributor, Erica OBrien, owner of Erica OBrien Cake Design, is back for her next post in our new series called Trending. Erica is helping us translate today's top trends in fashion, design, art and everyday life into fabulous cake designs. Watch each month as she goes from inspiration on pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design. With this insider look into her creative process, we hope you'll start to see inspiration everywhere in world around you. Today we're talking boho chic....
As the daughter of a former hippie, there's always been a place in my heart for the boho look, and a recent shopping trip confirmed that the trend is hotter than ever. I wanted this cake to be an eclectic mix of colors, patterns, and techniques, inspired by an array of cultures and colors.Read More
TRENDING : PineapplesOur contributor, Erica OBrien, owner of Erica OBrien Cake Design, is back for her next post in our new series called Trending. Erica is helping us translate today’s top trends in fashion, design, art and everyday life into fabulous cake designs. Watch each month as she goes from inspiration on pinterest to cake concept and then […]Read More
TRENDING : Geometric PatternsOur contributor, Erica OBrien, owner of Erica OBrien Cake Design, is back for her next post in our new series called Trending. Erica is helping us translate today’s top trends in fashion, design, art and everyday life into fabulous cake designs. Watch each month as she goes from inspiration on pinterest to cake concept and then […]Read More
TRENDING: Chalkboard & Paper FlowersOur contributor, Erica OBrien, owner of Erica OBrien Cake Design, is back for her second post in our new series called Trending. Erica is helping us translate today’s top trends in fashion, design, art and everyday life into fabulous cake designs. Watch each month as she goes from inspiration on pinterest to cake concept, sketch and […]Read More
TRENDING : Stripes & FloralsWe're excited to welcome our newest contributor to The Cake Blog! Erica O’Brien, owner of Erica O’Brien Cake Design, will be joining us each month for a new series called Trending. Erica is helping us translate today's top trends in fashion, design, art and everyday life into fabulous cake designs. Watch each month as she goes from inspiration on pinterest to cake concept, sketch and then the final cake design. With this insider look into her creative process, we hope you'll start to see inspiration everywhere in world around you. Today we're kicking things off with a fashion trend and Erica will take it from here....Read More
The 9th Cake of ChristmasIt's our third annual holiday series.... The 12 Cakes of Christmas!! We're oohing and aahing over twelve marvelous cake designs, created especially for this series! All brand new, never seen before, and created by some of your favorite bakers! For our theme this year, we're taking a moment to reflect on our favorite Christmas memories and traditions. It's a feel good month, celebrating the little things that make this season shine bright. Each of our featured bakers was asked to create a cake based on a classic Christmas tradition.
Up today, we have cake number nine. Our ninth cake celebrates a classic wish made each and every year by the young and young at heart. Hopes for glistening tree tops and the sounds of sleigh bells in the snow. With each Christmas card we write, we dream of that light dusting on the ground that shimmers and sparkles and always puts us in the holiday spirit. The Ninth Cake of Christmas was inspired by.... Dreams of A White Christmas!Read More
Pink Week : Fabulous in PinkIn honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Cake Blog is going pink! For an entire week, we’ll take a break from the Fall and Halloween inspiration to celebrate with pink. To remember, honor and support all of those who's lives have been touched by breast cancer.
In the United States, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Around the world, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year. Sometimes I think it's easy to get lost in the statistics, but those numbers represent women just like you and me. Our mothers. Our daughters. Our sisters. Our friends. And my hope is that this week, filled to the brim with girly-girl pink, will remind you of the importance of breast screenings and early detection. And perhaps, even inspire you to take a stand and join the fight to find a cure.
So we're starting off with a gorgeous cake that's gone pink, from top to bottom. With a fabulous spin on the traditional awareness ribbon, today's cake includes a spectacular pink bow with modern loops and a little touch of sparkle. Made in loving memory, it comes to us from Erica O’Brien, owner of Erica O’Brien Cake Design located in Hamden, CT.Read More
Rustic Buttercream & Sugar FlowersGrab your cup of coffee and settle in for a few as we pour over the incredible images of today's featured cake. Because well, it's one of those cakes that will have you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Appreciating that less if often more and that perfect doesn't always mean sleek and polished. This natural beauty is what happens when rustic meets romance and love ensues. Charming ridges of buttercream skip around the cake as if they're leading us to patches of beautiful blooms. Blossoming sugar flowers delicately crafted and artfully arranged to create a look that is pretty as can be. It's just downright gorgeous and it comes to us from Erica O’Brien, owner of Erica O’Brien Cake Design located in Hamden, CT. We've been gushing over Erica's cakes for several years now (like this ruffles & lace design and this winter white design) and we just can't get enough! Let's take in every last morsel of today's little lovely.Read More
5th Cake of ChristmasThe fifth cake in our series comes to us from Erica O'Brien, owner of Erica O’Brien Cake Design located in Hamden, CT. You probably remember Erica from previous features on our site (like this ruffles & lace design or this winter white design). We've been crushing over Erica's designs for several years now. With her refined style and knack for making current trends elegant, she consistently has us gushing. And today's cake is no exception. It's beyond gorgeous and it's The 5th Cake of Christmas!Read More
From Flowers… to CakeWhether it's February 14th or 15th, love is in the air everyday here on the blog. Cake love that is! As we usher out Valentine's day, don't be sad. Today's cake will make your heart equally as happy! It's another great example of how beauty inspires beauty!
We talk a whole lot about inspiration day after day. A few weeks ago, we featured a gorgeous Ruched Cake inspired by the bride's wedding dress. Today we take another look at cake inspiration. So, what happens when a talented cake designer is inspired by a photograph? A gorgeous bridal bouquet captured forever in a stunning snapshot... and then (several years later) is brought back to life in the form of sugar and flour. Join me as we go from flowers... to a lovely Winter White Wedding Cake, created by Erica O'Brien.Read More...Read More
The 10th Cake of ChristmasImagine yourself in a smart wool coat wrapped with a fabulous scarf. Now imagine that same look... but on a cake! We're bundling up with another winter beauty that is both sophisticated and sharp. Houndstooth checks with a warm white-on-white pattern adorn the top and bottom tiers, allowing this geometric pattern to shine without being overbearing. Complete with scarf-inspired pom poms, this Winter White Houndstooth Cake by Erica O’Brien is cozy chic. It's The 10th Cake of Christmas! Read More...Read More
Ruffles & LaceI've always been a fan of simple, sophisticated and modern. Whether we're talking about clothing, furniture, or cake! That is my personal style and at one point in my life I would have cringed at the idea of lace and ruffles. Over the years my taste has evolved and I now find myself drawn to designs that include a subtle touch of something soft and romantic. But when it comes to cake, it still needs to be crisp and clean. I think that is why I fell in love with today's cake. This amazing Ruffles & Lace Cake by Erica O'Brien is the perfect combination of all these things. Read More...Read More
